


i truly don't have a chance

by orphan_account



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gryffindor Josh, Hogwarts, M/M, Slytherin Tyler, Superpowers, Tags May Change, Teenage Drama, Tyler and Josh are both muggle borns, Weird Plot Shit, blurryface is present, cant promise a happy ending tho, hes not an asshole tho i pROMISE, ik its kinda weird, so much gay it hurts, starts in 1st year, the hogwarts/bandom au that absolutely no one but me asked for, they're all in different houses but get along gr8, this fic is for my own selfish purposes only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-23 02:05:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7462440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hogwarts... what's that?" Tyler asked, remembering the name that had stood out so boldly in the letter. </p>
<p>"A school. For witches and wizards."</p>
<p>"But I'm not a wizard," Tyler stated with an airy chuckle, looking up at his mother in confusion.</p>
<p>"This letter states otherwise," </p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Tyler and Josh, like everyone else, are eleven when they get their Hogwarts letter. </p>
<p>Tyler, unlike everyone else, can read minds. </p>
<p>But something must be malfunctioning, because a mudblood can't get into Slytherin. Nonetheless a mind reader who's obliviously in love with his best friend. So what's the catch? </p>
<p>Tyler isn't prepared for some of the longest seven years of his life. Neither are the misfits in the other houses that he befriends. Oh, and then there's this asshole named Brent who makes things ten times worse than they actually should be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings will be given at the beginning of each chapter if necessary. 
> 
> This story will have multiple chapters per each year, not just one chapter a year because that's hella boring yo
> 
> idk how many chapters in total there will be, but i'll try my best. 
> 
> thIS STORY IS A LOT BETTER THAN THE SUMMARY I PROMISE oh god im so bad at summaries sorry
> 
> also the story is told from 3rd person, but sometimes i might change it to Joshs' pov or tyler's on special occasions alrighty here we go

Tyler ran down the stairs, taking two down at a time and almost tripping on the last one. Today was the day. He would be prepared. 

He almost ran straight into the door before stopping right in front of it and catching his breath, and then plopping himself down on the carpet beneath him. He had turned eleven eight months ago, but Tyler could just _feel_ it. It would come today. He could read the worlds' mind, too, you know. 

He was beginning to grow impatient, just sitting there. It would come soon, he kept telling himself. It was a Monday on a beautiful August day. But Tyler didn't care about the weather, not right now.

He was having a good time sitting and humming to himself after concluding that it would come in approximately five minutes. Tyler didn't know what _it_ was, exactly... he just knew it was coming. That was enough to get his nerves worked up. 

And then his little brother Zack had to trot down the stairs and act like he was the man of the house. 

"Hey big brother!" He said, jumping on Tyler and in result landing them both onto the ground. Tyler grumbled in response and blocked out his little brother's mind. 

"Not right now, Zack. Something important is coming and I can't miss it! Go eat breakfast or somthin'," Tyler commanded, getting annoyed at his brothers' tactics. Then he accidentally let his mind wander and winced when his brothers' thoughts flooded into his head. 

Zack 'ooh'd' staring up at the eldest of the Joseph siblings, "Was' comin'?" Zack was a year younger than Tyler, but sometimes he acted as if he was still seven. Tyler still loved him, though. "I don't know yet," He answered, looking up at the door with anticipation. 

Only two more minutes, Tyler thought. 

"Now go eat breakfast!" He shoo'd his brother away, smiling to himself when the wandering thoughts got farther and farther, until his brain could no longer read them. Too far gone, he concluded. 

Tyler had figured out that he could read people's minds when he was six. He had informed his mom and dad about it, but they had never believed him. He had tried to show them a few times, get them to believe in him, but they would always back away as if he had stung. It made Tyler's heart churn in horror. 

And then, to Tyler's uttermost delight, he found out he could block out people's thoughts, too! Only a few months ago, shortly after he had turned eleven. He had focused extra hard this time in tuning out the strayed thoughts and only focusing on his own. When he figured out it had worked, he had been practicing ever since. He was a still bit rusty, but he could manage.

Now maybe mama and daddy would love him again, he thought. Maybe they wouldn't turn their heads every time he walked into the room. 

Tyler usually stayed locked up in his bedroom, that way his mind couldn't stray too far, also so he didn't have to talk to his disapproving parents. But now, after whatever that was supposed to come had came, he could go to his parents and tell them the good news.

Then he withdrew himself from his thoughts when he heard a sound. It sounded like.. metal, and... what was that? Paper..! Ah yes, paper. And it was falling, too. Then the metal sound occurred again, the paper was on the floor, and now it was over. 

Tyler looked to his left, seeing the item that had come through the mailbox slot. 

Was that what he had been waiting for this whole time? Mail? Tyler scoffed at his silliness despite being disappointed in the outcome. He thought it would have been bigger. Something like an atomic bomb, on the TV shows and stuff. 

He crawled over to the parchment, and took it in his hands. It was a creamish color, with a red seal on the back. He flipped it over, inspecting the front of the letter. 

**MR. T. JOSEPH**

**The Middle Room on the Second Floor**

**3981 Midpines Road**

**Columbus,**

**OHIO**

Tyler was confused, he didn't have any friends, so who would be sending him mail? Everyone at school were really boring. And their thoughts were stupid. Who would care if an elephant bred with a goat anyway? Because it would not, in fact, have a trunk _and_ horns. That was just silly. Naive 5th graders, he thought. 

He disregarded his wonderment and opened the red seal, taking out the equally creamish colored parchment inside the envelope, studying the words. 

_Dear Mr. Joseph,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._ _Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Terms begin on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Tyler continued to stare down at the piece of paper in oblivious wonderment. He had no idea what this meant, but he could feel the vibes radiating off of the paper. They were good. Tyler liked it. He picked himself off of the floor he'd been sitting on for so long, and raced towards the kitchen down the hall. His mama and daddy were going to be so proud! This was Tyler's chance, he could do it. 

"Mama! Daddy! I got..." he took a breath, panting. "-a letter!" He exclaimed, holding it up in the air like one would a trophy or prized possession. Everyone was now staring at him with confused expressions, even Jay who was sitting in his booster seat, Tyler's youngest brother who would be turning two in a month. 

He made sure to block out everyone's thoughts (although some were slipping through, but he wouldn't admit to that), and stared at his parents. 

"Honey, come over here and let me see," His mom said, ushering her eldest to come sit down next to her in his seat. He did so, and slid the letter towards her, watching her every movement. Her eyes scanned over the letter, becoming wide as they continued their path. She finally finished reading and let her husband read it next, finishing with the same expression. 

"Tyler, sweetie, where did you get this?" His mother asked cautiously, as if the wrong move or word would set the world aflame. He answered back just as cautiously. 

"The mailman came.. that's the only thing he brought." He said, not including the part where he knew when and where it would come for his parents, and his' sake. 

His mother let out a shaky breath, and his father spoke up for the first time. "It's probably just a prank, Kelly. Nothing to fuss over," He stated, trying to calm his wife down. Everyone was confused. Everyone except Jay who had thrown his Spaghetti-o's all over his high-top and was now wearing the bowl as a hat. His sister Maddy was off to the side playing with a match box car, having already finished her breakfast but still tuned in, and Zack was watching the events unfold with ongoing curiosity. 

Tyler let his mind unravel, but only far enough to reach his mother's thoughts. Both of his parents' thoughts would give him a headache. He shuddered, the last time he did that, they were both thinking about  _taxes._

_\--at has gotten into him? Now everything evil is following his every move! I'm not raising him right, I should be protecting him. This is not what God would have wanted. I don't know what to do, though. This letter is stating unholy acts, and I won't tolerate Tyler doing such things. I wonder if he should get a therapist... he used to go on and on about how he could read m--_

Tyler closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. His mother thought all those things? And gosh, she thought way too loud! He could probably hear her all the way from China! 

"..Mama?" He asked, eyes still closed. He didn't want to see the look on her face, showing such disappointment. She didn't look at him though, just stared at the table beneath her. 

"Whatever this is... whoever pulled this unholy prank with pay for their sins. Witches and wizards aren't real!" She shuddered, calming herself. "This is a sick joke." She stated a matter-of-factly, now finally meeting her eyes to her sons closed eyelids. She softened a bit. 

"Hogwarts... what's that?" Tyler asked, remembering the name that had stood out so boldly in the letter. 

"A school. For witches and wizards."

"But I'm not a wizard," Tyler stated with an airy chuckle, looking up at his mother in confusion.

"This letter states otherwise," She said with a cold glare, and Tyler shrunk a bit. Where was his father in this? He wanted to reach out, but if he did he figured he would get an earful of hatred. His parents hated him, and it was all his fault. 

"So.. now what?" He asked, not expecting an answer. He sighed and scratched at his head, which would happen if he got too confused. His head would get irritated. Thoughts would jumble about and get all mixed up. He sighed. Again. 

"Your father is going to take you." Tyler's head jerked up so fast that he thought it might actually keep going and roll right onto the floor. 

"What?" He squeaked, straightening his posture up a bit. His father had also looked over at his wife uncertainly, not understanding her motives. What was she going on about? At first she was talking about it being unholy, then it was a sick prank, and now she wanted her Christian son to go into such an 'unholy' place. Had Tyler ever considered his mama to be bipolar? Maybe he should have. 

"You're going to go to this... this abomination, and I don't want to see you again until next summer, you hear?" She asked, her eyes cold but looking regrettable. Tyler's heart was in the process of shattering.  

His father never spoke up. 

"O-okay.. m-ama..." He said, voice wavering. He slid out of his chair and ran out of this kitchen, through the hall, up the stairs and around the corner where he opened up his and Zack's shared bedroom. Shutting the door behind him with a _thud_ , he collapsed onto his bed and cried. 

_Great,_ he thought, _I messed everything up_ again _._

 

~~~~~~~

Over the next two weeks, Tyler never bothered his mother. He had only enough nerve to approach his father, and that was a rare occasion. Zack and Maddy picked up on his unusual behavior, choosing not to comment on it. 

Tyler was much more reserved. 

Maybe if his stupid _senses_ hadn't of told him something unusual would be happening, he wouldn't have opened the letter. Or better yet, maybe his parents would have opened it first and just had disregarded it as a prank from the boys next door. He didn't care which one. He just wanted his parents to stop hating him.

He didn't even know what Hogwarts _was_ , for Christ's sake! He knew it was a school, that was common sense, but he didn't know where it was located, or who was there, or the supplies he needed. He didn't even know what it was for! Was it magic? Yes, but why did he need the magic that was to be taught to him? Did they have magical jobs at the end of every year?

He had realized there was an extra page attached to the back when he was reading the letter, and he figured it had all of the supplies he needed. What if he couldn't pay for the supplies, though? Would he still be able to attend? Yeah, he'd get bullied every day if he waltz'd in without any supplies for the whole year.

Oh, that was another thing. How long would he be staying? And who would he be staying with? Were there other kids his age who were in the same predicament? 

Tyler actually had to calm his breathing down from thinking too much, he was growing a migraine. All these questions and no answers. He didn't know where to find them, either. He sat on his bed, the pain in his head growing worse and worse that it was almost unbearable. 

His head shot over to the door when it was opened, Zack coming in and sitting on his bed. 

"Hey big brother," He said, smiling over at him. Tyler managed a smile back. At least his siblings didn't hate him. 

He quickly tuned out his brother's thoughts, not wanting to invade anyone's privacy for the rest of his life. "Hey little brother," Tyler fiddled with his thumbs, looking down at his lap. He hadn't spoken to anyone besides Zack in almost a full week. To everyone else, he'd gone mute. He rarely even spoke to Zack. 

"Mama doesn't hate you, you know. I jus' think she loves God too much." He giggled, still looking over at Tyler. For a ten year old, Tyler thought, he was good at comforting people. Well, Tyler would give him kudos for trying, at least. He smiled slightly, not really believing his brother's words. 

"She's weird. She says one thing but means the other! She loves us all, jus' kinda scared that you're off to a totally diff'rent school!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. 

Tyler nodded, taking Zack's words into deep thought. 

~~~~~~~

The day was dreadful, in Tyler's opinion. It was September 1st, and he was terrified. Instead of just him and his father, Zack and Maddy had tagged along as well. 

His mom had refused. 

They had eventually figured out the location of the train station, which was apparently called Kings Cross, and had booked airplane tickets over. With some help from a few wizards who had noticed their oblivion, they had gotten dollars turned into Galleons and were ushered into a place called "Diagon Alley" by an elderly witch. 

Tyler was sure they looked like baboons. Out of place and sticking out like a sore thumb, as was concluded by several people staring at them. 

Tyler sighed, wanting this to be over with. He grabbed the list out of his back pocket and started their journey into the narrow street. 

A few hours later, they had packages upon packages stacked on top of each other, threatening to fall. Tyler's father was having trouble carrying everything, so Tyler and Zack helped, while Maddy was left to enjoy their surroundings. 

Now there were only two more things on the list. A 'familiar', whatever that was, and a wand. 

Tyler looked up, wondering where the 'familiar' shop was at. He couldn't find any shop with the word in it, so he stopped to find someone who looked like they knew what was what. He scoped the area, and finally his eyes laid on an adult who had black and yellow robes on, ushering her children to and fro. He quickly bounded over to her and politely tapped on her shoulder. 

She turned around, bewilderment shown on her face, she finally looked down and saw Tyler, and smiled at him. 

"Sorry ma'am, but I was wondering where I could find, a um.." he looked down at the list, "A familiar?" He asked, looking back up at her. 

"Ah, a familiar. If I were you, I would chose an owl. They're very handy. But you can chose whichever one you'd like, cat, owl, or toad. The shop is right over there, honey." She explained, and pointed to a shop over to Tyler's left side. Titled, 'Magical Menagerie' Tyler walked over to it, his father and siblings catching his train of movement and following. 

They walked into the shop and were attacked by screeches, croaks, meows and other noises. Loud noises, Tyler noted. He looked around the shop for a bit longer until his eyes landed on the man behind the counter, studying Tyler. He walked over, cautiously. This man was sort of scary, he concluded. 

"Uh hi.." He tried, ignoring the man's fixed glare on him. He shifted uncomfortably. 

"You want an owl. I can tell a lot about you, boy, and your personality states that you'll be happiest if you get an owl." He stated, now averting his eyes away from the eleven year old. Tyler's mouth was agape, confusion etched onto his features. He wanted to read the guys mind, but he was scared that if he broke down his walls now he wouldn't get them back up with how many people were here. He'd have a migraine before he even took two steps out of the building. 

"O-okay, thank you." He said politely, turning towards the owl section of the shop. There were a lot, ranging from Snowy, Barn, Screech, Horned and True owls. Tyler didn't know which one he wanted, he didn't even know what they were for, so why be picky? 

He looked over the tags on the bird cages, giving a description of each owl in the cage. Eventually Tyler got to an owl that had rather an unique description.

True - Strigidae Owl

Male

1 year and 8 months old

Friendly, great flyer, very social and loves peanut butter. 

Tyler let out a giggle and stuck his hand in the birds cage, gently petting his soft feathers. The owl looked down curiously at Tyler, and then fluttered his wings. Tyler smiled up at him. He was middle sized, compared to the owls around him, and he had black and brown feathers with wide orange eyes that were staring down at Tyler. 

"Daddy, can I get this one?" He asked his father who was standing behind him, who was making sure Zack or Maddy didn't go wandering. 

"Sure, c'mon." He stated, trying to hurry the process up so they wouldn't be late. According to some witches he'd passed earlier, the train Tyler was supposed to get on left in an hour, and he didn't fly all the way over here just to miss the train. 

Tyler grabbed the cage handle and carefully moved it over to the counter where the mysterious man was waiting. 

"That one will suit you nicely." He said, and Tyler nodded, paying for his new familiar and leaving with a smile. He liked his new owl, but wasn't sure what to name him yet. He'd figure it out later. 

Now the only thing he needed was a wand, and he got directions from the same lady he'd been guided by earlier. He smiled again up at her, thanking her and heading to the shop that was titled, 'Ollivanders'. 

He stepped inside and was met with the smell of.. wood? And if 'antiques' had a smell, this would definitely be it. The shop was adorned was hundreds of shelves, all containing rectangular brown and black boxes. There were a few seats in the corner, and an older man with white fading hair peeked his head around the corner. He smiled down at Tyler. 

"Hello there, are you in search for a wand, my dear child?" He asked, walking out of the aisle and to the desk in front of Tyler. He just nodded. This guy was giving him creepy vibes, and that wouldn't be the first time around here. Were these people all just... naturally... kind? 

"Stand up straight, and let me take your measurements." He stated, pulling out a measuring tape from his desk and stalking towards Tyler. Tyler was confused, why did he need his measurements? 

"That way I can find the best length wand for you," And at that moment, Tyler was happy. Because maybe, if God was on his side, the Wizarding world had mind readers too, and Tyler wouldn't feel so _weird_ anymore. Or at least wouldn't be alone. But that was probably too much to ask, wasn't it?

He waited patiently and moved when he was told to while the man took his measurements. When it was over, he began digging through the shelves and pulling out a few. After a few minutes, he had grabbed three in total and set them on his desk. He opened a brown box up and got out the wand, handing it to Tyler.

"Nine and a half inches, vine wood, Unicorn tail hair." At this statement, Tyler's head jerked up to meet the man's eyes. Was he serious? Unicorns? He mentally scoffed and threw the idea out the window. 

So, what was he supposed to do? Was he--

"Give it a swing!" He exclaimed, and Tyler did. A pile of innocent books in the corner-- that's where that smell was coming from-- were thrown across the room in a split second, landing askew on the floor beneath them. Tyler quickly shoved the wand back into the man's hands, not wanting to mess up anything else. "Sorry, sir... I--"

"Shh, it's fine. Happens all the time." He said, cutting Tyler's to-be mini rant off. He put the brown wand back into its box and opened a black box up instead. He pulled the wand out and handed it to Tyler again. This time Tyler wasn't so confident, what if he broke something really expensive this time? 

"Ten inches, holly wood, thestral tail hair. Give it a swing. Don't worry about breaking anything, child." He stated, waiting for Tyler to wave the wand. Despite his words, Tyler still wasn't so sure. He waved it at the rug in the far corner, and as a result was shredded into pieces. Tyler sighed, giving the man back his wand. 

"Don't worry, there's more if this one doesn't work. I'm positive it will, though." He said with a glisten in his eyes, smiling down at Tyler. He handed him the third wand and waited patiently. 

"The wand chooses the wizard, Tyler." Tyler was too focused on the wand he was given to even register the fact that this guy was probably a serious mind reader. The wand was black, with a brown tint. It was shaped odd, Tyler thought. It had a wave to it, making it look like seven circles. The wand was bigger at the hand held part, and gradually got thinner as it got longer. 

"Ten and a half inches, Blackthorn wood, dragon heartstring." 

Tyler had good vibes while he was holding it, like the letter when he had opened it, it made him feel good. He was confident in this one. He turned to his left a bit, spotting a pen on the man's desk. He wasn't sure what he was planning or trying to do, but he waved his wand gently at the pen, and soon enough it was levitating in mid air. Tyler gasped, dropping the pen in conclusion and looking at the man with bewilderment. He'd been doing that a lot, hadn't he? Been confused? 

The man smiled down at him again, taking the wand out of his hand and back into the box, packaging it. Tyler paid for it and said a quick 'thank you' while rushing out the door. 

"We've only got about thirty or so minutes to get to the train station, so let's try and hurry." His dad said, moving at a quicker walking pace than he usually would. Tyler, Zack and Maddy all followed. Tyler was carrying his uniforms, his new owl that he was still trying to find out a name for, and his wand. He got butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought of Hogwarts and the other kids. Would he fit in? Would they accept him? He hoped so.

~~~~~~~

With the help of some wizards, they got to Kings Cross Station with about eight minutes to spare. With the amount of people they'd had to stop to try and get through the morning, Tyler was uncertain how he was ever going to get through the year at the school. He didn't know what it looked like, or how big it was. What if it was one of those mansion type schools that took ten minutes to get to one class to another? Tyler sighed, it would be a long year. 

"Those wizards said that we need to get to platform nine and three quarters..? Daddy, that's impossible!" Tyler exclaimed, growing frustrated. His dad looked sheepishly down at him, and then looked at something behind him with a confused expression. Tyler turned around, trying to follow his gaze. 

There was a man, and it looked like his two children, both boys. They had a lot of packages, and then they were running towards the brick wall, and then---

Wait, what? 

Tyler considered breaking down his walls to find out just what these people were actually _thinking_. That's crazy! It's also impossible! He turned around to see his dad was probably thinking the same thing he was. He turned back around again, and now they had all disappeared. Tyler thought he was going crazy, he must be! There's no way that a solid, normal, average human being can just run straight through a solid, average, brick--

"C'mon, I'll show 'ya how ta do it, laddies." A younger female adult who looked like she'd accidentally stepped in slime was ushering them over to the wall. No, seriously. She was covered from head to toe in green. Not that Tyler didn't like green, but man this girl was overdoing it. After a few seconds of shock, the Joseph family walked after her, finally stopping at the brick wall in front of them. Platforms nine and ten were on each of their sides. 

"All 'ya have ta do is run straight to'ards the wall. If yer nervous, ya might wanna close yer eyes. Go on, now! Shoo! Yer gonna be late!" She exclaimed, pushing Tyler towards the innocent red brick wall. He was nervous, he'll give her that. He looked back at his father uncertainly, his father wearing the same shocked expression from moments before. He turned towards the brick wall again, and took a deep breath.

And ran.

Closer.. and closer.. and it was like an inch away and -- BOOM! Oh wait, nope. Tyler was perfectly fine. In fact he didn't feel anything solid at all, but when he opened his eyes that he hadn't realized were closed, he wasn't expecting a ruby red train sitting straight in front of him. Steam coming out of it, too. 

Wow. 

A few moments later, Zack came running in. Then Maddy, and then his father who brought up the rear. They all took a few moments of processing, and then started to walk towards the train in silence, all too scared to comment on anything. 

They loaded Tyler's things onto the red steam engine. 

"Well uh.. I guess it's time to go..?" Tyler said uncertainly. He didn't want to leave his family, not really. He _could_ go a day or a month without his mother, but that was about it.

"Goodbye, big brother!" Zack said, wrapping his arms tightly around Tyler's neck. Maddy was a bit shorter, so she wrapped her arms around his waist instead. "Byebye, Tyler." She said, her voice muffled by her face being in Tyler's side, and he giggled. He wrapped his arms around the two. "Bye guys. Stay good for mama and daddy," He and Zack giggled at that, "I love you." 

"Love you too," They both said in unison. 

Then he went up to his dad and gave him a hug, telling him goodbye.

"Love you, daddy."

"Love you too, Tyler." 

~~~~~~~

It was only about five minutes later and Tyler was _still_ trying to find a seat. Almost all of the compartments were full, until he finally found one with only two people in it at the very end of the train. He poked his head in.

"Um.. could I maybe sit here? Everywhere else is full." He stated nervously, biting his lip.

"Yeah, sure." One boy stated. Tyler came to the conclusion that he was adorable. He had dirty blond hair with... greenish-blueish eyes, Tyler couldn't tell which, with a black fedora on. He looked nice enough, so Tyler sat with him. 

"Hi," He said nervously... again. He wasn't very good socially. He never really had any school friends, and he didn't talk to anyone outside of his family. He twiddled with his thumbs nervously. 

"Hey, what's your name? My name's Patrick!" Green Blue Eyed boy said, and Tyler liked him already. He was friendly and adorable. Both which were very pleasing. Tyler smiled over at him. 

"I'm Tyler, what's your name?" He asked the other boy in the compartment. He had these very dark brown eyes, which were complimented well by his complexion. And his hair was red! Wow, Tyler wondered how old he was. 

"Uh, Josh." He smiled over at Tyler, who returned the gesture. 

"Cool! So what year are you guys in?" Patrick asked, looking excited. It showed, a lot. He had the biggest of smiles plastered onto his face and his leg was bouncing. Tyler wished he was that excited, instead he was a nervous wreck. 

"Year?" Tyler asked before Josh could answer. Patrick looked at him like he'd just seen a ghost. Then he facial expression turned into one of understanding.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, "Are you muggle born?" He asked. Tyler was so confused. What was a muggle? 

"What's a mugg--"

"Someone who isn't born from a wizarding family!" He said excitedly, and Tyler heard Josh giggle from his side of the compartment. He looked over at him.

"Patrick is really excited, if you haven't noticed," He giggled again. Patrick ignored him and awaited Tyler's answer. 

"Well then yes, I am.." He stated, and he swore Patrick's eyes glistened. Wow, Tyler really envied this guy. Maybe if he let his walls down he could find out why this boy was so happy? No, too risky. 

"Cool! Okay so you're a muggle born. Josh is too! You two will get along great," He paused, thinking. Tyler looked over and Josh and smiled again, at least liking the fact that he and someone else could relate to something. "Okay so there are people who are called Half Bloods, and Purebloods. Half Bloods are people who are born from one parent being a wizard and the other being a muggle. And purebloods are people who are born from both parents coming from the wizarding community, got it?" He smiled once he finished, and Tyler paused to process it all. It made sense, he guessed. 

He nodded in response. 

"Alright, so I'm a first year, so is Josh. I'm guessing you are too?" 

"First year as in.. this is my first year here?" He asked, ignoring his mother's voice in the back of his head. _Don't answer a question with a question, Tyler._

"Yep," Patrick declared.

"Then yes... How do you know all this stuff if you're only a first year?" He asked, a bit confused. 

"'Cuz my parents taught me everything! I'm a pureblood, so they were prepared when I got my letter." He said, pride seeping through his voice. Tyler couldn't blame him though. If he was a pureblood he'd probably be prideful too. 

"Tell Tyler what you told me, Patrick." Josh said, and Tyler for a minute wondered what shampoo he used, because his hair looked really soft. 

"Okay, so when we get to the school, there are four houses. Kay? You'll be sorted into the house that best represents you.. uh, let's see," He paused to think, trying to remember what his parents had told him. His face lit up when he remembered. "There's Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I'm not sure, but I think they all have separate dorms that we sleep in," Tyler took the information, mentally thanking Patrick for telling him all of this that way he was... sort of prepared. 

"How do we get sorted?" Josh asked Patrick, leaning forward. Patrick looked confused for a moment before speaking up again. "I actually don't know that.. my parents didn't get to that part.." He wondered off, racking his brain for any information. 

Tyler leaned back in the seat, drifting off in thought. 

~~~~~~~

Tyler didn't know how long he had been on the red steam engine, but when he finally departed out of the doors he felt better. He took in a deep breath and stretched his limbs, then followed Patrick and Josh, because he had no idea where he was going. 

"Firs' years! Firs' years ov'r 'ere!" Tyler heard a gruff, loud voice shout over all the commotion. Patrick, Josh and Tyler all exchanged looks, trying to weave in and out of all the students.

They finally approached the man responsible for the noise, and stood frozen. He was like, eight feet tall! "He's practically a giant!" Josh said, and Patrick and Tyler just nodded, still looking at the half-giant unbeknownst to them. He turned to them and smiled down, waving.

"You guys firs' years? I'm Hagrid, but you can call me Hagrid," He said and winked at them. Josh and Patrick giggled and Tyler smiled up at him. 

And then he was on a boat. 

Yes, a boat. And it was going straight towards the biggest castle Tyler had ever seen in his life. Well, the only castle, but it was still the biggest building he'd ever encountered. He dipped his hand in the waters, feeling how icy cold they were. Patrick nudged him, "We're not allowed to do that!" He whisper-shouted, and Tyler quickly withdrew his hand. 

It was Josh, Patrick, Tyler and a guy named Brendon all huddled in a boat together. There were about fifteen other boats on the icy waters, and Tyler had never felt more nervous in his life. No one was even paddling! 

"So what house is.. the best? Or, uh, which one is the most appealing?" Tyler asked Patrick, and he shrugged in response. 

"My parents are both Hufflepuffs, so it'll be a miracle if I'm not one. But uh, they didn't really say which house is best. But I did hear something..." He said the last part quieter, leaning in towards Tyler and Josh so they could hear. "All the 'bad' wizards, or wizards who have gone evil have always been in Slytherin," He stated, and Tyler was, alas, confused, for about the fiftieth time again that day. 

"It doesn't mean they all are.. I've met a few really nice people from Slytherin, but..." He trailed off, they were close to the castle. Tyler could tell they were going to get off soon. The butterflies in his stomach kicked up again, wanting to be released. 

He looked up, and saw the huge gray castle towering over them. 

~~~~~~~

They were being ushered into the castle, having just boarded off of the boats. Hagrid had left, Tyler didn't know where. They climbed up stone steps, and when they reached the top, a voice was talking over them. 

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few moments, you will join your classmates in the Great Hall. You must firstly be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you stay at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. You will sleep in your house dormitory and converse in the house Common Room. Triumphs will earn you points, while any rule breaking will lose you points. And at the end of every year, the house with the most points is rewarded the house cup, which is a great honor." Professor McGonagall finished, and ushered everyone through the great doors, people were chattering and whispering. The butterflies in Tyler's stomach wouldn't stop fluttering. 

They stood at the end of the hall, in front of a diagonal table in front of them, which Tyler assumed sat professors and staff members. 

Tyler was beginning to feel a headache coming. With him trying to block out so many people at the same time, it hurt his head and was very difficult to accomplish. He winced and rubbed at his temples, trying to calm his nerves in the process. He focused on controlling his wall, making sure it didn't come crashing down. 

_Think about your own thoughts. Nothing else._

He continued to do this until a figure to his right was moving, he looked over and realized Josh was making his way towards a stool that was sitting in front of the staff table. And.. was that a hat? It was. And.. it was talking. Of course it was. 

The hat was mumbling to himself and to Josh, who was wearing a nervous expression on his face, and then a few seconds later he heard a shout. 

"GRYFFINDOR!" Tyler winced, the shout having not helped his headache or his concentration. Patrick smiled at Josh, and Tyler thought it was polite if he did too. The Gryffindor table was applauding at their new class member. 

Not long after Josh's roll call, Tyler heard his name. He jerked his head up, totally forgetting that he was supposed to go up there, too. The butterflies in his stomach erupted, and Patrick saw his predicament and helped him a bit. He took Tyler's right arm and gently pushed him forward, towards the stool. He nervously walked up the steps and took a place on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head. 

"Oh, what is this?" The hat asked, and Tyler straightened up a bit. What was that supposed to mean? Tyler wasn't sure if the hat was inside his head or if it was talking aloud, and even then he didn't know how loud he was. 

"Strange... very strange. Ah! Yes, but there's that vital piece... oh!" The hat exclaimed, Tyler tried to tune him out, but it was hard when other people's thoughts were seeping their way into your brain. It hurt, especially when he was trying to prevent it. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. 

"You're a mind reader..." The hat said slowly, and Tyler's eyes snapped open. _What?_ How did it know that? Tyler wasn't sure if it was said out loud, but by the way people were gasping and whispering to each other, he guessed so. No, no, no. This wasn't good! No one ever knew he could read other's minds, or they never believed him. He didn't know what to do. 

After a few more seconds, the hat shouted, and Tyler winced again at the loudness. 

"SLYTHERIN!"

 

 


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler makes new friends, and gains new enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all thanks for the positive feedback so far  
> it keeps me motivated
> 
> second i just want to clear a few things first before we get started
> 
> 1 - i actually REALLY love Tyler's parents irl, and i have absolutely nothing against them, but i did what had to be done so this story has an interesting plot.  
> 2 - i have no idea if someone from america could actually be accepted into Hogwarts??!? i mean i know about Ilvermorny (BTW IM THUNDERBIRD AYY) but i dont know enough about the school to write about it yet.  
> 3 - the part in the 1st chapter where Minerva is talking about houses and house cups and everything to 1st years, i didnt want to copy the actual speech from the book/movie so instead i combined the two. i dont wanna get in trouble for plagiarism lmaoo  
> 4 - lastly, i know i didn't explain much on how Tyler's mind works in the 1st chapter, or how/why he can read minds, but i'll try to cover that topic in these next few chapters.
> 
> also, this chapter is going to start where the last chapter left off. that probably wont happen often during this story though

Professor McGonagall hastily removed the hat off of Tyler's head, and he slowly started to walk towards the Slytherin table. There was cheering, he could hear it, but it was far away. It was like he was going through the motions, but he wasn't present. What was going on? His head had never hurt this much before, and he was trying to hold back tears. After what felt like decades, he finally reached the Slytherin table and sat down. He massaged his temples, trying to get rid of the irritating monologue going on inside of his mind. Hundreds, maybe even a thousand of other people's thoughts racing through his head, blurring his vision slightly. He counted to ten, twenty, fifty before someone beside him spoke up, erasing his train of thought.

"Hey, bro, are you okay?" The guy asked, and Tyler pinned him as the guy that had been riding in the boat with him, Patrick and Josh. He tried to smile reassuringly over at him, but instead resulted in a wince. He couldn't remember the guys name. Well he couldn't concentrate, either. He tried to rack his mind of any significance relating to this guy's name, but the pain in his head only grew worse.

He felt the guy scoot closer to him, putting a gentle hand over his slightly shaking shoulder. He was a mess. How could he think this would ever work? Usually at grade school he would be fine! There were only about twenty-five other people in each of his classes, and he would usually eat in the bathroom. Twenty-five people he could get by, but hundreds of other people at the same time? Tyler thought his head was going to explode!

"What's wrong? What do you need?" He asked urgently, and Tyler tried to speak up. He choked on a sob instead, the pain being unbearable. It had never been this strong before, and his body was tingling with bad vibes. He'd never felt this bad in his entirely life.

Held back tears finally broke their barrier, and Tyler was sobbing with such painful quakes. He couldn't get his hands to stop shaking, and his body was still tingling with the worst sensation ever, and it screamed 'bad, bad, bad, get out'. The wall in his head finally broke and at that moment, Tyler wanted to scream. Or hit anything and everything. Or die.

The boy next to him put his warm hand on Tyler's forehead, and it felt as if he was on fire. "Oh my god..." He whispered, wrapping his arms around Tyler to get him to calm down.

"Help! He needs help!" He shouted, attracting the attention of the whole staff table and the majority of the other students. Tyler's head was physically pounding, and everyone's thoughts were racing and speeding through his mind, swarming his hearing and vision. His eyes were glued shut and his hands were in his hair, clutching it in pain. He tried opening his eyes, only seeing black circles, and in conclusion shutting them tightly again. The arms around him clutched him tighter, but still gently. One hand was tracing circles on his back. Soothing, but not helping.

Then Tyler felt the arms leave him, and he almost choked on another sob from the lack of heat that had been keeping him warm. In result, another pair of arms were at his shoulders.

"What's wrong with him?" The voice asked, and Tyler couldn't even differentiate if it was a male or female, he tried blocking out everything.

"I-I don't know! He's really warm.. a-and, shaking!" The boy said, a slight tremor in his voice. The voice above him sighed.

"Can you walk?" They asked, and Tyler tried to answer. Plan A on blocking out everything hadn't worked, and he was shaking harder. He could hear the thoughts now, loud and clear. It was hard to tell if someone was actually talking, or just thinking.

"N-o," He choked out, not trusting his shaking limbs to carry him wherever this person was taking him. Everyone was thinking about him, and it was absolutely terrifying. He was still sobbing, for different reasons. Yes, the pain was absolutely excruciating, but also for the fact that he couldn't build his wall back up. He was weak. Such a disappointment.

Then he felt arms lift him up from his seat and start carrying him bridal style towards the great doors. His eyes still shut, he buried his head into their shirt, and the fabric was soft, which was comforting. He heard the figure sigh once more, and they turned to their side to push the doors open. After Tyler heard the doors behind them shut, he let out a shaky breath. The thoughts were drifting away, even though they were still loud. A few more feet and they would be gone.

"W-where are we going..." He asked, still not trusting himself enough to open his eyes. His carrier scoffed at him, and Tyler tried to make himself seem smaller. The strayed thoughts were now almost completely gone, and Tyler was working on building his wall back up again, trying to pick up the pieces. His migraine was still present, and his body was tingling and shaking.

"The hospital wing," They hissed down at him, and Tyler thought that maybe his savoir wasn't actually as grateful as he had pinned them to be.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital wing. He was set down on a bed, and he finally opened his eyes. The hospital was very big, with about twenty white beds aborning the wing. It had a very high ceiling, and -- Tyler just noticed how much better he was feeling.

An older lady, who Tyler assumed must be some type of nurse, with white robes came walking over. She was wearing a worried expression, but her eyes were soft.

"What's the matter, dear?" She asked, lifting Tyler's chin up and examining his face.

"He's a mind reader," Now that Tyler could now think clearly, the voice to his left was very deep and silky. Her eyes went comically wide, and she stood up straighter.

"Is this true?" She asked the small boy, who was now playing with the sleeve of his robes that he had changed into on the train. He didn't meet her eyes when he nodded in response, waiting for the earful of hatred he was going to get. Such a disappointment.

"Should I retrieve Dumbledore?" The man asked, and the nurse nodded in response. And with a dramatic swish of his robes, he was gone.

"I'm Madam Pomfrey, dear. What's your name?" She returned her attention back to the boy, inspecting his facial features to check if he was in any physical pain. He let out a shaky breath, and she looked down at him with concern.

"Tyler," He stated, now disregarding his sleeves and instead twiddling his thumbs. What were they going to ask him? Because he probably didn't know the answers. He had figured that out a long time ago. Everything about this school confused him, and he couldn't help but wonder if they had accidentally sent him his letter by mistake.

With his luck, they probably had.

"Alright, Tyler. What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked, and Tyler sighed. How was he supposed to explain it? He could barely even understand it. He head was still throbbing, but only a portion of what it had been. He sent a silent 'thank you' up to God, if he was listening. He was out of the Great Hall, and that fact alone made him feel better.

"Uh.. well, i's hard to explain.." He said warily, not returning the gaze that she was giving him.

"It's fine, do your best." She said, rubbing his shoulder gently. He finally lifted his head up to meet her eyes. They were warm, inviting.

And then someone burst through the door.

"A mind reader?" They asked, stopping in front of Tyler's bed. The man who had carried him here before was accompanying him by his side. The elder man had a long, white beard, and half moon glasses resting on his nose. Warm eyes were staring down at him, curiosity evident in his features.

"Yes, Albus. Now Tyler, tell me what happened." She urged him on, and he took a deep breath.

"Well, um.. when there are so many people in one room, it's hard to block out all the thoughts," He stated simply, and the man with the silky voice made a noise that sounded like a disappointed grunt.

"Could you perhaps explain, dear?"

"Like if I'm in a room with only one other person, I can chose if I wanna read their thoughts or not... uh, if I chose not to block them out, the thoughts just drift into my mind. So pretty much I don't have to do anything to read someone's mind, I'm just able to hear their thoughts naturally." He stated, and he paused to give them some time to process the information, then went on. "But if I don't wanna read their thoughts, I have to work at it. Like... I just try and think about my own thoughts.. no one else's,"

"And with so many people in the same room at the same time, it was hard to block out, correct?" The elder man asked, and Tyler nodded up at him.

"Yeah.. I'm usually fine in my classrooms at school. At lunch I just ate in the bathroom..."

"Alright now, Tyler. You should be fine in your classes, there are perhaps only about thirty people in each class, is that fine?" Tyler had guessed this was Dumbledore, but he didn't know which class he taught.

"Yeah, thas' fine." He said, and he could see Madam Pomfrey smile at him from his right side.

"Now as for meals, you can always come in a bit earlier than the other students." Tyler sighed, but nodded in agreement at the statement.

Maybe he could get Patrick or Josh to come with him too, so he wouldn't be so lonely.

~~~~~~~

Tyler was grateful when he was escorted to his dorm by Professor Snape. Who he found out was the Potions professor. If he hadn't been escorted, he probably would have lost his way and somehow ended up in China. Which wouldn't be impossible considering the size of the castle.  

When they entered the Common Room, though, Tyler was amazed.

The Common Room was first of all, huge, and beautiful. It was sort of dark and mysterious, and the windows on the far back wall showed the lake. It was amazing. The furniture had a cool sort of vibe that Tyler could sense, and the green contrasted well with the lake.

And then when he got up to his dorm, he was even happier. First, he found out all of his belongings had been brought up here and placed by his bed. And second, the guy from the Sorting was there, too. When Tyler walked in, he smiled at him. Now that Tyler was able to think clearly again, he was able to try and think of his name. Didn't it start with a B or something? Dang.

"Sorry... I forgot your name?" Tyler asked the only other person in the room. The other three guys, with how many beds were left, were probably in the Common Room or something. This guy had black hair with caramel eyes, and he was pretty pale. Tyler liked him.

"Brendon Urie. You're Tyler, right?" He asked while unpacking some of his uniforms out of an old brown trunk. Tyler nodded. He sat on his bed and started to unpack all of his things, noticing his owl was still in his cage. Tyler went over to him and stuck his hand in through the brass bars, caressing his soft feathers. He still didn't know what to name him.

"Have you named it yet?" Brendon asked, noticing the strigidae owl. Tyler giggled, looking over at him.

"I actually just thought of something," Tyler said, giggling at his own inside joke. Brendon's face turned to one of pure confusion, urging Tyler to explain. "Horton," He started, "Horton hears a 'hoo'," He mimicked an owl's hoot and Horton looked up at him and cocked his head, causing both Tyler and Brendon to start laughing.

"Are you gonna get him out?" Brendon asked, coming over to pet the animal. Horton coo'ed at the attention.

"Can I?" He asked, not sure whether letting him out would be a good idea or not. Where are you supposed to keep a pet owl? Tyler had no idea, and he didn't think Brendon did, either.

"Ya! But actually... not right now. 'Cuz you need to get him to owlery but we're underwater so he can't really fly out.." He trailed on, and Tyler hmm'd in understanding. He'd take him there tomorrow. If he could get directions. From someone.

"Here..." He went over to his trunk, pulling out a rectangular colorful box, walking back over to Tyler and joining him on his bed.

"These are called Bertie Botts! They're jelly beans, with different flavors.." He giggled, opening the box. "Try one.. they're good!" Tyler took one warily, aware of the smirk that was plastered on Brendon's face, hastily tossing the green dotted one into his mouth. Tyler liked jellybeans.

And then he didn't.

~~~~~~~

It was the next day, and Tyler and Brendon had gone to drop Horton off at the owlery, and then came back. They wouldn't really admit that they had gotten lost once and had to ask a lone ghost for directions. But all of their stuff was unpacked, and today was the first day of classes.

Right now started flying classes with Madam Hooch, and Tyler couldn't be happier. At home he had always loved to play basketball, maybe he would love flying, too.

Tyler looked over at Brendon from beside him, shaking like a leaf. Ever since they had gotten today's schedule, Brendon had made it loud and clear that he did not, in fact, want to go flying. Or that he ever will, for that matter. Oh well, Tyler thought, you'll just miss out on all the fun.

Tyler did feel bad for him, though. Madam Hooch had made it loud and clear that she did not, in fact, tolerate students who didn't want to fly.

The class started.

"Alright class, now, pick any broom and stand to the left of it," She commanded, pacing through the grass. They were outside, and it was a nice sunny day. A bit hot for Tyler's liking, but he could manage. Tyler and Brendon made sure they stood next to each other, Brendon to the right of Tyler.

Once everyone had completed the first direction correctly (some students went to the right instead), she faced the class again and gave her next instruction. "This part is a little tricky, but be patient. Raise your right arm above your broom and say, 'up'!"

Tyler didn't understand how in the world just saying a simple 'up' could get a broom to move, but being excited nonetheless, held his arm above the unmoved stick on the ground beneath him. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the broom and nothing more. He would do this. He would get this right. He erased his mind of everything else. Blocked out everyone's thought.

"Up!" He shouted, having opened his eyes and looking at the broom with great concentration. It flew up and obeyed it's occupants commands, and Tyler beamed. Psh, easy peasy. He would definitely love this class.

He contemplated for a bit whether or not just to get on his broom and try flying _himself_ , but then decided against it. It would totally be fun! But he'd probably get expelled, and Tyler suddenly remember his mother's remark, _she doesn't want to see you again 'til next year, Tyler, because you screw everything up._

He was distracted from from his thoughts when movement from his right side caught his eye. He looked over, immediately confused. Who was that? Another boy Tyler pinned as the same age, who had chestnut hair and brown eyes was already mounted onto his broomstick, Madam Hooch gesturing wildly for him to get off. The boy refused, instead levitating a few feet into the air. Wow, Tyler thought, mockery. 

He tried to avert his eyes, looking over to Brendon. After a few minutes of trying, he'd finally gotten his broomstick in his hands. He was happy at his success, but also terrified for what he had to do _because_ of his success. 

And then Madam Hooch suddenly had her own broomstick, and was flying towards the student. He apparently wasn't too stupid enough to fly away from her, and only verbally protested when she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground, taking away his broom in the process. Tyler chuckled to himself, _that's what he gets._

And then when everyone calmed down and had their brooms in hands, excluding Broom Boy, who had to sit out, Tyler was ecstatic. Which, couldn't be said for Brendon, who was still shaking, but definitely not as bad as before. 

And then Madam Hooch instructed the class to 'lightly' (she emphasized the word, multiple times) tilt their brooms upwards.

And then everything was chaos. 

Students were flying left to right, up and down, crashing into each other, and some even did back flips. And then there were the six percent of the other students who managed to follow the simple instructions. Meanwhile, Broom Boy was cackling over in his corner by the benches, clutching his stomach. 

Tyler saw Brendon, in the grass. He titled up too high, got scared, panicked and let go of his broom, and fell face first into the grass. 

His broom had landed gracefully back on the ground. 

He tilted his broom down, planted his feet on the ground and helped Brendon up, containing his laughter as he saw the mud that caught in his hair. "You alright?" Tyler asked, with a small smile. Brendon rolled his eyes in response, and decided (much to Madam Hooch's disliking) that he would sit over with Broom Boy on the benches. 

~~~~~~~

It had felt like freedom. Free from everything. Free from his mom, free from other people, free from other peoples' _thoughts._ Thoughts! Tyler laughed, long and loud. It felt great. He could let his mind wander however far it could go, he couldn't read anyone except himself. Looking down, seeing the castle beneath him, other children, the green grass that stretched on for miles, the wind rustling his hair, the fresh air letting him _breathe_. Tyler couldn't think of a time in his life where he was this happy. 

~~~~~~~

"Have you talked to Brent yet?" Brendon asked Tyler while they were on their way to Potions, who they had with the Gryffindors next. 

"Who's that?" Tyler asked, while they were reaching the dungeons. Tyler liked the dungeons, really, they were basically his second home, but why did they have to be so _cold?_

"The guy who tried to fly by himself in Madam Hooch's class," 

"Oh! No, then," So _that_ was Broom Boy's name. Huh. 

"Well, don't. He's... not the nicest person," Brendon stated, looking around warily when they got to the Potion room doors. Brent was a Slytherin, he'd be there someday. 

"How do you know?" Tyler asked curiously, turning to face the taller boy. 

And then a vibrant red haired figure turned the hallway and smiled at them, distracting them from their conversation. "Hi guys," He said, standing with them. Tyler liked Josh. He was really kind and funny, and Tyler _still_ wanted to know what shampoo he used, his hair looked so soft. He silently wished they were in the same house so they could have the same classes together. Not that Brendon wasn't amazing company, but Tyler also wanted to spend a lot of time with Josh, too.

Both Tyler and Brendon smiled back, "Hi, Josh." Tyler said while giving a small wave. He smiled back. Tyler noticed just how white his teeth were. 

"What's up?" 

Who is that?

Tyler peered around Josh, trying to see who the unnamed speaker was. A pale face, jet black longish hair, and hazel eyes. Tyler thought he'd seen him before, but couldn't remember. He had a smirk tugging at his lips. 

"Hey Gerard," Josh greeted, turning to face the other boy now. Oh. Maybe they were best friends.

"Who are these guys?" Gerard asked, facing Brendon and Tyler. Tyler noticed how his eyes stood out. Very well, actually. They were like brown and green with yellow and they shone bright, even in the dark dungeons.

"Hey, I'm Brendon."

"I'm Tyler,"

~~~~~~~

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Tyler was arriving earlier than everyone else to meals, but he'd also made new friends.  Which he was proud of. 

Brendon, of course. He was something, really. He had the funniest sense of humor, and usually dragged Tyler along when he wanted to play pranks on teachers and students late in the night. He was always by Tyler's side, unless Dallon was there. 

Dallon he'd just met about two weeks ago, he was in Gryffindor with Josh. He was amazingly nice, but somewhat quiet. Tyler liked him, he seemed mysteriously kept to himself, like a lot of things ran through his mind. Tyler didn't want to take the chance of finding out though. He was always thinking about something.

Patrick was a very close friend. He always knew what to say and when to say it, and Tyler still thought he was adorable. He liked to ramble about anything and everything involving the castle, including Quidditch. When Patrick first had brought it up, Tyler had the most confused expression on his face that Brendon literally _laughed_. Dallon rolled his eyes. 

_"Tyler, please. S-stop with the fa-ce," Brendon actually wheezed, which resulted in Dallon laughing, too. "My stomach h-urts,"_

_Tyler thought it'd be best if he just ignored them, and averted his attention back to Patrick, who had a smile on his face._

_"What's Quidditch?" He finally asked,  rolling the unfamiliar word off his tongue._

_"It's a Wizarding sport. I have no intentions of playing it, but you can try-out in Second Year." Patrick stated, huffing when he saw that Dallon was trying to calm Brendon down. "Brendon, it wasn't even that funny," "Y-yes it was,"_

_"How do you play? It sounds fun,"_

_"I don't actually know much on how you play, but I do know that the Games start soon. This week, I think. You ride on brooms until one team catches the Snitch, which is pretty much the winning ball." He stated, playing with the grass they were sitting on. It was a sunny afternoon on a Saturday, and they were enjoying the view of the Lake. Sitting up against a stone wall wasn't very comfortable, though._

_Patrick was also one of Tyler's go-to buddies. If he didn't understand something or a phrase, he would just go to Patrick for answers. Was that taking advantage? Tyler hoped not. He just didn't understand most thing from the Wizarding World. Patrick did though. Hopefully he'd get the hang of it soon._

_Tyler was going to try out for Quidditch for Second Year. He was. In fact, he was going to save up money to get his own broom. He'd heard about brooms they sold in Diagon Alley, and had blindly seen one while he had visited. He hadn't thought much of it at the time. He wondered how much one was, hopefully not_ too _much._

And then there was Pete, who he'd met the very first week of school. Him, Brendon and Tyler all shared a dorm, which was great. Pete was rather loud, but it was cool because he was still nice. Unless someone offends him or his friends, then he gets mad. And he has an excuse later, too. He usually is the brains of the pranks. He comes up with devilish pranks to pull, where they'll be at, and at precisely what time. Brendon is the coordinator. He knows people. Not everyone, but a lot. Which is impressive for a First Year. Brendon is the one to tell who will be where and what time they'll be there.

And then Tyler just goes along with it. At first he chickened out. _No!_ He said, remembering his moms words. If he got expelled for some stupid prank, he'd be sent home. But then the first time he'd went along with them, when they pranked Mr. Filch at three in the morning into thinking there were multiple students in multiple places. He was running and shouting, Mrs. Norris hissing by his side. 

Which, okay, yes. There were multiple students in multiple places. But the fun part was watching his eyes narrow when Brendon made a noise down in the dungeons, and then Tyler made a noise up by the Gryffindor wing. And then Pete would come running along in the Hufflepuff hallway, and Filch would just go berserk. Tyler thought he was going to get skinned alive if he actually found them out. 

So the pranks were always fun. Every Friday night. Unless there was a Game, then they'd move it to Saturday.

And then there was Jenna and Hayley. Jenna was in Ravenclaw, and Hayley in Hufflepuff. But they were best friends ever since they had made accidental eye contact in the Great Hall. Jenna was amazingly sweet that it was almost scary, and Hayley was amazingly supportive that it was almost scary. They did everything together. 

Gerard and Frank. Frank and Gerard. Gerard had more of a dark sense of humor, which Tyler laughed at despite his mother scolding him in his head. _Tyler! That's blasphemous, you sinful boy. Don't you dare laugh at that._ Tyler usually ignored that part of his mind. 

Frank was a bit different. He laughed at Gerard's jokes too, but he wasn't as laid back as he was. He was a Ravenclaw, unlike Gerard who was a Gryffindor. They stuck together like glue though. Where one was, you could bet the other was at least in a five foot radius. 

And finally, Josh. Josh was the best person Tyler thinks he's ever met. Kind, funny, and always there if you needed him, even if he was a bit awkward. He tried to make his friends happy, either way. Tyler liked him. From the mysterious shampoo that he uses to the tiniest lisp that is only recognizable if you look for it. Even though he and Tyler only had a few classes together on some days, Josh always volunteered to go to meals early with Tyler. 

No one was phased by the fact that Tyler could read minds. At first they were all very excited. _Tell me what I'm thinking, Tyler!_ and, _Oh, that is so cool. You know how many people you could blackmail with that kind of power?_ That last part was Gerard. Now, they were still excited, but had come to take it in as natural. They helped him when he had headaches and bad irritations, and Tyler had never felt more loved. No one had liked him at Muggle school. Not even his parents. But these people, who had chosen if they wanted to be Tyler's friend or not, willingly knowing that he was definitely _not_ ordinary, had stayed with him. And he was very, very grateful.

~~~~~~~

The first time Tyler officially meets Brent, he's with Josh and Patrick. It's the middle of October, and getting colder. They're in their robes walking alongside the castle on a Friday evening. Tyler had just come out of Charms, while Josh and Patrick had just come out of Transfiguration. 

Tyler honestly doesn't understand how after more than a month, two people who are in the same House and Common Room have only just met. 

"Patrick!" Josh laughed, "No, he's not. Well, I don't know, but still." Tyler thinks they're talking about Dumbledore, but hasn't been tuning in. 

"Exactly! We don't know. There are some pretty interesting rumors, though..." Patrick retorted. Tyler was confused, like usual.

"What rumors?" 

And then they all stopped walking. The voice from behind them was uneven, and they all turned around to greet the mystery speaker. 

Oh. Broom Boy.

Brent.. something. Tyler didn't know his last name. All he knew was that Brendon had said he wasn't nice. He stiffened up, not really knowing what to do or what to say. Why was this guy here? Had he been following them? They weren't close to any door or window, and there wasn't anything to really, _look_ at, so why was he here?

"Who are you?" Josh asked, eyebrows knitting together and eyes narrowed. They were probably thinking the same thing Tyler was thinking. _There's no one out here but us._

"Brent Fenton." He took a few steps forward, and just something about the guy made Tyler want to instinctively take a few steps back. He didn't. 

They all looked at each other, sharing the same confused expression. 

"Why are you here?" Patrick asked, and Tyler gave him a wary expression from the corner of his eye. This guy gave Tyler bad vibes. _Really_ bad vibes. They just radiated off of him, like waves. 

"None of your business," Brent snapped, and then locked eyes with Tyler. "You can read minds. Tell me what I'm thinking, _now_." He was starting to walk closer towards the trio, and Tyler _did_ take a step back this time. The sudden sharpness and tone of his voice made him want to run. 

"Hey, woah there," Josh stood in front of Tyler, and Patrick shuffled closer. Josh held his right hand out in front of him, making Brent pause for a second, and then he pushed Josh out of the way. He stumbled, but regained his balance. 

"Hey! What is your problem?" Tyler asked, stepping closer to him while Patrick made sure Josh was okay. Tyler swiftly pulled his wand out, but Brent had beaten him to the move. 

"Tell me.. what I'm thinking." He growled, and Tyler flinched. And then there was a wand jabbing at his throat, and he heard a gasp behind him. _Patrick_ , Tyler thought. When Tyler didn't respond, the auburn wand jabbed harder, and Brent's knuckles turned white. Tyler's own wand was by his side.

"Now." And he could feel the spasm in the other boys' hand from holding on so tight, and then Tyler could think clearly again. _Guy. Threatening. Probably should listen. Mind. Reading. Do it, Tyler._

But before he got the chance,  Josh came up and kicked Brent in the back of the knees, resulting in him falling forward. Tyler quickly moved to the side, snatching Brent's wand out of his hands before he could hit the ground. 

It took him a moment to process what happened, and neither Tyler, Josh or Patrick new what to do. 

And then Patrick ran. 

Nor Tyler or Josh followed, but they did call out his name a few times. Tyler couldn't run, though. He had Brent's wand. He couldn't just go waltzing into the castle with two wands. That would look suspicious. But he also couldn't give it back, either, for fear that he'd use it against him or Josh. He could just drop the wand and run, but that may not have a very good outcome either. 

Brent looked up at them, and Tyler could feel the tension. He was sure Josh could, too. The bad vibes were still radiating around him, and it was consuming Tyler's atmosphere. He cautiously took a step back, and Josh looked over at him with concern. 

"Wow," Brent's eyes were literally flammable, and they were piercing into Tyler's skull. He felt oddly exposed. "Such a _freak_ ," He spat, hoisting himself up off the ground. Tyler winced at the word. 

"I s'pose you got your friend to fight for you? Since you're such a wuss and won't do it yourself," And then he cackled, loud and mockingly, which reminded Tyler of his very first day. Flying lessons. Such mockery. 

Josh's eyes narrowed, and Tyler thought his red hair suited him well for this situation. It looked like fire.

"You're the one who came looking for trouble, so back off." Josh challenged, and took a step forward. Gosh, they were only eleven. Why were they getting into fights already?

Brent ignored him. Instead he lunged for Tyler, tackling him to the ground. It took Tyler a couple of seconds to fully process what was happening, and then he was pushing and shoving. Brent was clawing at his neck, but couldn't quite reach since Josh was trying to pull him off of Tyler, shouting at him. It was a mess. 

And then Brent punched him. It wasn't very hard since he didn't quite have the time to aim and gain control while Josh was simultaneously pushing and pulling, but it was hard enough to make his lower lip crack and start bleeding. Which sent both Tyler _and_ Josh over the edge. 

Josh was currently still pulling at Brent, while shouting "Get off! Get off! Get off!" over and over, and Tyler was still laying on the chilly grass, trying to push Brent off of him. Apparently he was weak. Not a surprise. Freak. 

Brent was pulling at his hair, his face, throttling his neck, and he even had the audacity to spit in his _face_. Tyler retorted, pulling at anything and everything, still pushing up against him.

And then they both had a silent moment of victory when they got him off of Tyler. Tyler immediately kicked at his legs and feet, and then Josh pushed him to his left, letting him fall on his back. Tyler rolled off of his back and sat up, not breaking the courage to stand on his legs. His head was spinning, and everything above his chest _hurt_. He rubbed at his raw throat, feeling the scratch marks. 

Oh, and then there was Patrick. 

And Professor McGonagall. 

"What is the meaning of this?" She bellowed, reaching the three students. Tyler looked up at Patrick, who's eyes were wide and his hands had a slight shake to them. Oh. 

And then all three of them simultaneously went into a long detailed story about their encounter, and McGonagall's face was on fire.

"One at a time!"

"Ma'am, if I may.." Brent made a scene on trying to stand up, limping and almost falling to add effect. His eyes were red and puffy, like he was about to cry. Tyler was immediately enraged. _I'll fake you out_ , he thought. 

"I was w-walking.. and these two guys cornered me.. I don't know why!" He started, and Tyler heard Josh scoff. "T-they took my wand and started hitting me.." He let a lone tear fall, and Tyler almost burst out laughing. It was so fake it _hurt_. "The other guy.." He pointed at Patrick, "He ran to get you, I g-guess. To cover it up? Mayb-e, make it seem like they're the g-good guys." He took a shuddering breath, looking at the ground. "I tried to run! I-I.. they wouldn't let me! I don't know why! Please, p-professor." 

And then there was more shouting. Chaos. 

"That's not what happened at _all!"_ Josh shouted, balling his hands into fists. Patrick even had an edge to his voice, "That's not true! He came up to us!" 

"Calm _down_!" McGonagall ignored the protests, and ushered everyone to follow her. They did. And they followed her to the castle. And through the doors. And to Professor Dumbledore's office. The password was Sherbet Lemon, Tyler noted. 

And then they told _their_ stories. Which contradicted Brent's story by a mile. Josh was deducted ten points from Gryffindor, which Tyler found confusing. He was trying to get Brent off of him, and he wasn't the one to initiate the fight. Patrick was awarded ten house points for not fighting and instead alerting a teacher. Tyler was deducted twenty points, which again, Tyler found confusing. Wasn't he just using self defense? And then Brent was deducted fifty house points, which didn't help Tyler at _all_ , since they were in the same house. 

And then Tyler woke up the next day, to find a letter accompanied by a white cat. 

**_Hello, Tyler._ **

**_You've just started a war, and I hope you're ready. None of your misfit friends can help you with this, don't go crying to them. Or any adults. That would be losing. And I have something of yours that you might want back. So if you want it, follow my future instructions._ **

**_Sincerely yours,_ **

**_BF_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was originally gonna name Tyler's owl 'Travis' after that vine; "you got this travis make 'em wait for it...... BOOM." but then i thought a bit more and i was like
> 
> "Horton hears a who" HAHA GET IT CUZ HES AN OWL AND OWLS HOOT AND HIS NAME IS HORTON and im literally the queen of puns oh shit waddupp make way for the queen 
> 
> i get high off comments please leave some (no seriously, the more you comment, the more motivated i become, which results in [hopefully] an earlier chapter aYYY)
> 
> oh and also  
> #WEDIDIT!  
> imso fucking proud ohmygod
> 
> im SO FUCKING SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS A MONTH LATE. IM. SO. SORRY. ITS JUST THAT im a tiny freshman and i just started school last week and i had to do summer reading, and its only the fifth fucking day of school, and drama has already started
> 
> i guess his chapter is a way for me to just pause and write and forget about school and drama and friends and parents and homework and therapy and fucking shIT 
> 
> oh and also the part with snape. yah i know, kinda out of character IM SORRY but i actually really liked snape (despite him being an asshole, and a bully to children, and vvv selfish) but when i first saw the first hp movie when i was like, 7, i immediately liked snape. for idek what reason. i was weird, okay? i guess that never really changed, even tho when i rewatched and first read the books and i knew he was an asshole
> 
> oh and also also i actually had a dream that i was reading this story and i woke up before school and i was like "ah sh o o T i need to update mim such a shittty person oh no" and then came home and finally got the courage to write again aOOIIII
> 
> sorry if it feels like im rushing this story? am i rushing it? i feel like i am? sORRY
> 
> thanks leave comments okay i inject the comments (⌐□_□)


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